Clark Howard: Traffic could kill Atlanta (Forsyth, Clayton: live, store, move to)

[ATLTJL]

Personally, I think traffic woes are over rated. Just my little 'ol opinion...

Do you drive during the afternoon rush hour?

I used to think that because I worked evenings. Not only was I not commuting during the afternoon, I was at work, so I wasn't even running errands.

Then I moved to a regular job. I couldn't believe how awful traffic was.

And what I really can't believe is how much worse it's gotten intown. I think in the suburbs, at least where I live, the traffic doesn't seem quite as bad as it used to. But Peachtree St. in Buckhead between Piedmont and Lenox is just a complete and total nightmare, way worse than it was just 5 years ago. And Briarcliff near Clifton? Don't even try it!

I never get it when people say traffic is worse in the suburbs. Yeah, it's worse when you have to commute on the highways. But for just navigating around and getting to the store or whatever, I've found traffic intown to often be way worse than in the burbs. Of course, each burb is different and your mileage may vary!

I also don't understand when people say the southern burbs are better. Well, I've never lived there, but I have driven to Florida right after work on a Friday, and the gridlock on I-75 southbound is way worse than anything northbound I have experienced.

I also don't understand the idea of a reverse commute. When I leave the city on the connector northbound at 5:30 or 6:00pm, the traffic trying to come into the city is always inexplicably way more backed up than the traffic leaving it.

My point is, you can't just say "traffic only affects XXXX." Traffic affects everybody. And it's beneficial to all of us to fix it.

We argue back and forth on this board, but the data has a loud and clear message that we seem to ignore....above everything else, we have to get rid of traffic and panhandlers. Those complaints among visitors absolutely dwarf everything else. I don't know why we close our eyes to it.

[lastminutemom]

So where are the companies going to go? State Farm is consolidating 30+ offices into 4 (including Atlanta and Dallas that have similar traffic woes) because they couldn't attract the type of employees that they wanted in those smaller to mid size communities.

I think that younger generations are more myopic about things and aren't interested in moving to the jobs, they want to live where they want to live (at least the type of city, if not the specific city). In my generation, most of my peers went to where they could find the best employment opportunities, even if not their first choice community.

[afdinatl]

If that's the case LA, DC and NYC ARE dead

[Atlwarrior]

Clark have been to many nations and cities that yes have bad traffic, but at least have different options such as rail and commuter rail service. Bottom line Atlanta suffer from too many counties that only focus on their problems, and factors such as political power, racism, and just plain ignorance keeps a region from coming together. The sad thing is our wimpy State Leaders who can't seem to come up with a regional alternate transit plan, and execute it. Traffic is not sexy, it just show how our local and State elected leaders did not plan and work together. Clark you show run for Mayor.

[billl]

Clark Howard is an idiot.

According to a 2012 study done by INRIX (a traffic information and services group), Atlanta isn't even in the top 10 for worst traffic. Measured as the difference in speed between peak hours and uncongested (free-flowing) traffic. Of course that was 2 years ago and I suspect as the economy has picked up things have gotten worse in the Atlanta area. The unanswered question is: have they gotten comparatively worse everywhere else too?

Having said that, Atlanta metro needs more transportation options.

Reference: Ten cities with the worst traffic

[Pemgin]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

I think that younger generations are more myopic about things and aren't interested in moving to the jobs, they want to live where they want to live (at least the type of city, if not the specific city). In my generation, most of my peers went to where they could find the best employment opportunities, even if not their first choice community.

I wouldn't say there's anything necessarily myopic about choosing quality of life over slaving yourself to a career. If you have the best job you can have, but hate where you live, what's the point of having that job? Many are choosing to have a job further down their list in places they actually want to live so that they can enjoy their lives. Personally, I'd rather have my third most preferred job in Atlanta than my most preferred job in Topeka or Sioux Falls.

[Cameron H]

I suppose if Atlanta is "killed" that would help with the traffic.

[Atlwarrior]

Originally Posted by afdinatl

If that's the case LA, DC and NYC ARE dead

Actually LA transit system has improve significantly. We are already aware of the transit choices for DC and NYC.

[Atlwarrior]

Originally Posted by billl

Clark Howard is an idiot.

According to a 2012 study done by INRIX (a traffic information and services group), Atlanta isn't even in the top 10 for worst traffic. Measured as the difference in speed between peak hours and uncongested (free-flowing) traffic. Of course that was 2 years ago and I suspect as the economy has picked up things have gotten worse in the Atlanta area. The unanswered question is: have they gotten comparatively worse everywhere else too?

Having said that, Atlanta metro needs more transportation options.

Reference: Ten cities with the worst traffic

Forget about a study if you are the one stuck in daily traffic.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by billl

Clark Howard is an idiot.

According to a 2012 study done by INRIX (a traffic information and services group), Atlanta isn't even in the top 10 for worst traffic. Measured as the difference in speed between peak hours and uncongested (free-flowing) traffic. Of course that was 2 years ago and I suspect as the economy has picked up things have gotten worse in the Atlanta area. The unanswered question is: have they gotten comparatively worse everywhere else too?

Having said that, Atlanta metro needs more transportation options.

Reference: Ten cities with the worst traffic

Atlanta is just outside that top 10. And what that doesn't measure is how bad Atlanta is in free flow.

The politicians have just not been willing to make anyone mad by doing something.

The CofC has been talking for several years about how companies won't consider Atlanta because of the traffic.

BTW, who is Clark Howard?